Homeless and in-need Veterans to receive housing, medical assistance and more during Oct. 28 Chicago Winter Stand Down
PRESS RELEASE
October 26, 2022
Chicago , IL — Chicago's Winter Stand Down to help area homeless, home-insecure and in-need Veterans will be held Oct. 28 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Chicago's Northwest Armory.
Services offered to Veterans during the event include:
- Housing assistance
- Medical & Mental Health Education and Services
- Employment assistance
- Food and SNAP Assistance
- Veteran Benefits Assistance
- Haircuts
- Clothing and Winter Coat Giveaways
- Government-Assisted Cell Phones
Chicago Stand Downs are held every summer and winter and is organized by a committee of VA staff, local nonprofits and area agencies. The committee is led by Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.
"For more than 25 years, we've come together to aid our Chicago Veterans with the Winter and Summer Stand Downs," said Donald Donahue, Hines VA social worker and Stand Down chairman. "Where Veterans are struggling, our goal is to get them the resources they need to get through the winter and beyond."
The Illinois National Guard Northwest Armory is located at 1551 North Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL 60651.
Registration is required due to COVID-19 safety measures. To register, call 312-569-5750 or 312-569-8288. Veterans must have a Veteran ID Card or a copy of their DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty to receive services.
The Chicago Summer Stand Down was held in July 2022. It assisted more than 470 Veterans.
More than 200 stand downs are held across the nation and are part of the Department of Veterans Affairs' effort to house 38,000 homeless Veterans across the nation in 2022. Hines VA Hospital has reached 94 percent of its regional 2022 goal by permanently housing 232 Veterans.
Veterans needing housing assistance, or citizens who see a homeless Veteran, can call Hines VA Hospital at 708-202-4961. A social worker can be dispatched to offer assistance.
About Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended and specialty care to veteran patients in the Chicago area. We are the largest VA in the state of Illinois, where more than a million veterans reside. The hospital treats more than 44,000 veterans from World War II through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital Public Affairs Office
708-202-5627